binman

Terrific game of footy. Great win, particularly given paxman was not as prolific as normal and daisy was a bit off in the first 3 quarters (but terrific in the last). Go dees

Fair comments. I actually like Sam as a relief ruck. It gets him involved and I reckon he showed some natural rucking skills in 2018. And as you say he tackled more and did some damage. I thought it was strange he didn't play there at all last year, but perhaps it was related to the hip issues he had (i think it was hip, perhaps someone else?). I take your point about the forward line, and being gassed at season's end. That said six tackles in 13 games is not good enough. And given 2 were against the crows he only had 4 in the remaining 12 games. I have always thought he is a confidence player. Maybe a couple of months working on his upper body strength will help him to compete better against big key defenders and help his mind set. He is a beautiful set shot and we need every good kick we can get. And for a few weeks he seemed to be gelling well with LJ, so I hope he comes back bigger and better. And tackles.

In a nutshell the above highlights why systemic racism is so pernicious and difficult to address.

Some might argue buying Smith shares is more akin to loading up ganja shares, as the reddit crew have moved on to

I like players who try super hard and play with intensity. And tackle. No time for weed? Again with the misrepresentation. When did I say I had no time for him? Or even imply I had no time for him? I've always 'had time' for sam. I gave him credit for his goals and highlighted his marks inside 50. Have always been a fan. I'm a fan of all our players (though melksham is testing my patience) I said I had lost faith, explained why, and supported that view with evidence. All very logical and dispassionate i would have thought. But I sincerly hope he makes it. I am open for my faith to be restored. He has the talent, as I have acknowledged throughout his career. Just has to get to AFL level intensity. I'm critical of a player and you of all people find that curious? And on Marshall I landed on him because I was looking for a comparable player and correctly assumed he fitted the bill. Believe, or not believe me, I don't care but I didn't look at his tackle count unti after I selected him. Either way it proved my point. But for fairness sake here are the number of tackles in 2020 of a random selection of some other key forwards (young and old): Max King: 22 Ben King: 7 Josh Kennedy: 16 Luke Jackson: 8 (in 6 games). So 2 more than Sam in 7 fewer games. A kid in his first season of footy. Tmac: 15 (in 9 games) Dixon: 18 Sam Day: 21 Jeremy Cameron: 24 Hawkins: 40 Oscar Allen (who i should have picked because he is pretty comparable age wise etc and plays with the sort of intensity I wish Sam did. And his name is Oscar): 41 Charlie curnow: six fewer than Sam, with zero. Had a good excuse though as he didn't play a game last season. But over his career averages 2.2 per game so on that average would have had 28 odd if he had played Sam's 13 games. Tom Lynch (tigers): 23 Tom Lynch (crows): 13 Tex Walker: 14. Darling: 35. You get the point. Maybe. Perhaps you are ok with a key forward averaging a tackle every two games. Maybe in your analysis of a players you don't rate the tackle stat or don't mind that a 95 kg, 23 year old key forward doesn't throw his weight around, crunch defenders, apply pressure or trap the ball inside 50. Call me crazy, but I do.

I'm buying Smith shares. He'll make it.

To help the dees out, I'll convince the pies to trade for him

It is incredible that [censored] Mcalister made those comments in 1993. Not 1953. 1993. It sounds like a quote from Wake in Fright for god's sake. I had forgotten that Eddie succeeded Mcalister as President. As you say some progression that represents. Not. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/apr/17/black-and-proud-remembering-the-day-nicky-winmar-changed-footy-forever

Lumumba made another interesting point on Twitter, which was quoted in that article: “The 'CFC Do Better' report was not a 'response to the Black Lives Matter movement', as McGuire suggested. “CFC themselves announced the review was commissioned 'following accounts of racism made by Heritier Lumumba'. I wondered what the hell Eddie was talking about too. Either I'm right about him having cognitive issues or Eddie just couldn't help spinning things and big upping himself and tbe club (ie "we were on the front foot, are leaders and wanted to respond to the blm. Coz we're great. And not a racist club. Just some poor processes and policies' ). The irony is rather than determinedly investigating Lumumba's accusations tbey instead looked to buy some time and cover with a review. That with some help from Eddie , blew them up.

A fair point. He also ranked 10th in the league for marks inside 50 per game. But my main issue with Sam is his intensity and effort. That's to say his lack of it. A huge issue for us last season was our woeful pressure inside 50 and out inability to keep it trapped there. In our really bad losses (i'm thinking Port, Freo, Swawns and Dogs) the opposition just waltzed the ball out of our defence and up the field with ease. Sure Weed is a big (pardon the tautology) and i read about his struggles, but he had only had six tackles for the season. Six. The most he had in a single game was 2 against the crows. And i'm pretty sure of those six, maybe one or max two were in the last 5 games or so, when our season was on the line and you'd expect him to be at his most desperate. Compare that to Port's Todd Marshall, who i reckon is a pretty fair comparison: One year younger, drafted the year after Sam, ten fewer games, similar position, a touch taller, a touch lighter and both top 20 picks (16 to Sam's pick 9). And he played almost the same number of games in 2020 (14 to Sam's 13). Todd Marshall had 35 tackles for the 2020 season. Nearly six times more than Sam. Marshall had the 18th most tackles inside 50 per game of any player in the AFL in 2020. It is also worth noting that its not as if the other bigs at Port were not pulling their weight on the tackle front. Dixon had 18 (and Rozee, who to be fair is a mid size forward at 175 cm, had 16). To be fair to Sam 83% of his tackles were inside 50. The problem is he only had six tackles in total

I'll take the glass half full approach. Which is based on a glass half empty premise. Which is that i have to say i've lost faith in Weed. He was rubbish last year. He had the perfect opportunity to stamp himself as the man down forward but the longer the season went the less interested he looked. He seemed to go to the Melksham school of tackling and half arsed effort. When he began i saw him at practice match at the Holden centre and thought he looked a natural forward. But he doesn't seem as if he has really devloed his forard craft. And is too easliy pushed under the ball for mine. So the glass half full is that Tmac plays deep -as he should have last year and LJ and Mitch Brown are the other key forwards. With Smith down there too flying at every height ball and generally going crazy. And together they rock

Gotcha. Ben i meant. Forgot about the other brown

I'm confused. Is Brown ok?

Maybe. But i reckon the last week or so has shown he no longer has the political smarts (assuming he once he did) to play the political games he'd need to play to get a safe labor seat. I have no axe to grind with Eddie, but jeez he has become the master of the own goal. His comment that he has become a lightning rod for vitriol sums it up for me. With his performance at the initial presser (even yesterday - i mean still with the 'we're not a racist club' palaver? ) he practically went to radio shack, bought himself a large lightning rod, attached it to his head and stood in the middle of Victoria park in a thunder storm. And I doubt his 'brand' is very appealing atm. Maybe to One Nation or the Nationals perhaps, but not Labor.

So what if he did? Leaving aside any discussion about why a 21 year old kid might have felt compelled to go along with that nick name (you, know like aa culture of systemic racism) let's say he made those responses. So what? It might be relevant in the inevitable civil compensation case thread. but this thread is about an external review, commissioned by the club, that found the CFC guilty of systemic racism. It's remit did not include investigating Lumumba's complaints. So didn't specifically address them, beyond recommending an investigation take place.

Yeah. Poor Eddie. The true victim here.

Now that's a burn. A mel burn. Drop the mic mel.

My thoughts exactly NC. Was just about to post almost exactly the same comments. As I posted earlier in this thread it is remarkable that for a bloke who's life work has all been about communication he is so poor at it. Is this a more recent phenomenon (ie the ladt 10 years or so) or has it always been tbe case? As you say tbe smart play was to fall on his sword when the report was leaked. Perhaps a smaryrte move still would have been to release it himself and step down. Either way he controls the narrative, leaves on his terms and his 'brand' doesn't take such a god awful shellacking.

Just one at a time.

All good points, as we're lg's in the previous post. As you ssy a young fella looking to fit in is likely to do all manner of things that he later regrets (i know that is true of me) including accepting offensive epithets. It is also worth noting that he has said his sense of who he is and his identity grew later (iirc he was adopted into a white family) A strong culture and leadership knocks tha nick name on the head the very first time it used. And makes it clear it is not to be used. All the while supporting the young man. He started his career this century, not 1980.

Agree. I actually think maxy playing in defence as an intercept mark/spoil was a positive tactical move by Goody last season. Footy is more than ever about territory. The tigers template of moving the ball forward at all costs and gaining meters (one we have largely adopted) has won three of the last four flags. If you count the doggies, who employed much the same philosophy to win the 2016 flag, that is four of the last 5 flags with a similar template. Sure some teams employ a chip and hold model (eg Cats, Eagles), and all teams do so more than they did even two years ago, but once a team has elected to go forward territory is king. And more often than not that involves a long kick to a crowded forward line where the key forward does his best to bring it ground and give a small a chance at crumbing. Hence ground ball get being now being a key stat. And this predictability of entry is perfect for max who can stand in the hole and take a pack mark from the high ball in. Lever can still play the intercept role but with those packs he is more to jump and spoil then take a contested mark. Which is a better option than a forward marking it, but not nearly as good an option as Maxy marking as the ball is on the ground from a spoil. Everything old is new again and the way max drops back reminds me of the way Teasdale used to play.

The boat is the MFC. The people pulling it is us.

The idea that you could solve an issue as entrenched, as so obviously systemic, as racism at the pies (or anywhere for that matter) by sacking an individual is ludicrous. Indeed it is this very approach that has allows systemic racism to be maintained. And of course it is why two respected academics (that the club contracted to provide advice) have not suggested sacking an individual will solve the issue. And why there recommendations focus on addressing the systemic issues. I assume you have not read the report. And with all due respect I am at a loss as to how you can reach a different conclusion than the report's authors.

I read those comments, and without a word of a lie, my first thought was to wonder if Eddie has some cognitive issues. Widely interpreted? I did not see one response suggesting he meant they were proud of past incidents of racism and the hurt that had caused. And more the point, who on earth would think they, or he, would be proud of being racist? That is an absurd thought. I assumed he meant a proud day because the report was being made public and they were going to act. Isn't that how most interpreted his comments? He had a full day to reflect on it and that's his considered response? I read he blamed the stress of the report being leaked for 'misspeaking'. And when he made his Kong Kong joke he blamed the cumulative stress of the racism row. Red flags if you ask me. At the very least signs of someone who is struggles to perform his role under pressure.

Agree. Sort of. I'd just can the rule and if an umpire thinks a player has impacted the game by inadvertently or deliberately preventing the ball being moved on a free is paid. That's to say simply pay the free they have always been able to pay. Classic example of introducing an unnecessary rule that just creates confusion.